This series on intercessors training for Singapore is based off my written notes, which I took as I attended a church conference on this topic in Feb 2025.

Speaker: Ps John Mulinde

We are going to continue building understanding for the prayer altar.

Prayer altar is such a wide subject, we can spend the whole week learning about it.

But the more you understand it, the better results you get in praying.

Let’s go to the book of 2 Chron.

2 Chron 7:14: If my people would humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal their land.

This is a very pregnant verse of the Bible.

But I’m going to only take one aspect of this verse.

God challenges the people of Israel saying if they would do a, b, c, d.

Then he promises also to do a specific thing; then would I hear from heaven, forgive them, and heal their land.

Remember from Isa 59, in Intercessors Training for Singapore: Session 1 article, God will not hear because of the sins from Israel.

So literally the Lord is saying here, if my people would fulfil these conditions, then I will hear.

And when I hear, I will forgive their sins, and then I will heal their land.

In these other days, the Lord spoke to us about the need for the healing of our land.

What do you think is the problem with the land?

The land is defiled, and when it is, it ceases to the inhabitants, and it becomes a reproach and lack of blessing.

So it’s important to know who defiles the land?

The people who live in the land.

For example injustice, when some people are being exploited.

And the land become defiled, like a curse, to the inhabitants.

Another thing is bloodshed, remember Cain who killed Abel, God said the land will not bear fruit for you, and vomit you out.

For example of land that practice, the spilling of the innocent blood of babies, defile it.

Idolatry, the worship of idols also defiles the land.

And opens up the land to hordes of demons to take over.

Sexual perversion, and immorality also defiles the land.

And in the passage above, when we come to the Lord to pray, he hears us, forgive us, and also promises to heal the land.

Such that it becomes a real blessing to the inhabitants.

Yesterday in Intercessors Training for Singapore: Session 8 article, I was sharing how darkness rules at an individual level, to authority, and territorial levels.

Recall the ground level is dealing with individuals.

And usually healing ministries and deliverance only deal at that level, breaking the yoke.

And don’t go to the second level.

Because in the second level, you are breaking the yoke that set captives free.

And that one is usually the intercessors who engage at that level.

Yesterday remember we also talked about the change of priests?

Priests are like intercessors, who stand at the altar of the Lord.

But in the kingdom of darkness, there are also priests, who transact with the forces of spirit.

Some are spiritual religious priests, dealing with occult and witchcraft.

Some are priests that deal with family issues, where babies are killed.

And those dealing in economic fields, with money.

We heard of many wealthy men who sold their souls to get wealth.

Then there are those sell their souls, or make transaction to get political power.

And they get demonic powers on their side, in order to get political power.

And there are those priests within society to influence social norms, those behind gambling and other vices in the society.

They are not just transacting in money, but in spiritual power.

But it’s the intercessors, that are operating at that level.

Then the third level at territorial spirits, rarely do we engage them.

Firstly, no single person can engage with them.

To be able to engage with them effectively, the body in the territory needs to come together.

Not necessarily in one place, but in a unity of purpose in mind.

There is also another way that this level is engaged.

If we are coming together before the altar, giving our lives as a living sacrifice, and giving our souls for this cause.

The Lord comes and make demands of us, to come close to Him.

As we yield and surrender ourselves to Him, the presence of God increases.

Remember in the wilderness, the presence of God came down like fire in the day, and pillar of cloud at night.

And when they were crossing the Red Sea, and Egyptians were pursuing them, how did God make the Hebrew fight with Egyptians, did they fight?

No it was the pillar of God’s presence, that protected them.

And so in our lives with need to maintain that pillar of God’s presence, a heavy presence.

And by that heavy presence, he deals with those territorial powers.

Someone asked me are we intended to engage those principalities and powers.

And I quoted to Eph 6:12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power, and hosts of wickedness in high places.

So do we deal with them?

Yes, but not at the same way we deal with demons at ground level.

Let’s go to Eph 6:10.

Eph 6:10-19: Finally be strong in the Lord, and in His might, put on the whole armour. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers. But put on the whole armour of God, girded with truth, and put the salvation helmet. Above all take the shield, to resist the evil one. Pray always with supplications, and be watchful always.

Now God has told us who we are fighting with, and because we are in war.

There are certain things, and disciplines, and things we need to focus on.

But if you go back and read, he does not tell you to go attack these forces.

What he is telling you is at this level you are at, be strong in the Lord.

Put on the whole armour of God, that you can stand against the devil.

v14-15: Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, breastplate of righteousness, shod your feet with gospel, helmet of salvation

Do you see any acts he asks you to do in the heavenlies?

He is asking you to deal with your life.

As you do that, the presence comes down in you, and the Lord is pleased to abide in you.

When that happens, the Lord will deal with this power.

And when war comes, God comes and stand and fight them.

Some of us bind and uproot at this level, but the battle is the Lord, and the level of engagement is not ours.

So as we die to the old, and release the carnal.

We enter into the spiritual, and there is not by power or might, but by the Holy Spirit.

When you understand all this, you release we don’t have to worry so much about the demonic, but surrender to God.

The more we surrender, the more the power released.

So the altar is not informing God of your needs, but getting closer to him.

I love how Enoch walked with God so close, God took him to heaven.

That means God enjoys his communion with us, he loves and longs for it.

Do you remember the way he called Adam, “Adam where are you”.

I’m here for you, I want to spend time with you.

And God calls each of us when we don’t appear before him.

Not so much with petitions, but to be be with Him.

And if God is for us, who can stand against us.

It’s not so much how you fight, it’s if God is on your side.

Three most important things at the altar.

Firstly, hallow the name of the Lord, praise Him, and lift up His holy name.

Know that the Lord is God, He is the creator, your king, and shephard, and remind your souls who he is.

And the more your soul realises the reality of that, it is poured out, and flows in worship, and that attracts him.

The Bible says he sits in the praises of His people, He enjoys it, and it is intimate to Him.

It’s more important than talking about needs, for he knows them before we pray.

The second thing, is we surrender to him.

Sometimes he will demand certain things, and when we lay down we surrender.

Other times, he doesn’t speak.

But he told us how to pray in Matt 6, hallowed be your name is the first part already covered.

The second is, your kingdom come.

As you are exalting God and lifting him high, sometimes your soul is looking at life.

And you think of all the desires of life, and all that men run after, even that you say let your kingdom come and your will be done.

So you are crowning him king, lord, master.

This surrender is not a repentance kind, but a worship kind.

David says if I lie down at the bottom of the sea you are there, if I hide at night you are there.

Let your kingdom come, and all things bow down.

When you come to the altar, you hear people shouting at the top of their voices, you are Lord.

It’s ok that’s what they feel at that time.

Other times, you hear people sobbing, who is like you Lord.

So both are sweet to the Lord.

Don’t say I’m not worthy because I didn’t shout like them, even if you whisper you are worthy.

You can even say it slowly, one word at a time.

Let your praise come out of your heart.

There are other times you engage without an alarm, and as long as you want to be there.

And you can go the whole day in worshipping.

You are with him.

Battles against principalities are very rare you engage, but you know what he demands?

Draw nigh, and I will draw nigh.

And that’s how he engages, and the presence of God’s pillar comes down.

And when you have that, the presence of God in your house is tangible, people will also notice.

Remember those three levels of demons we covered, they suffocate the land and push people into conformity.

But when you are in your house the pillar is with you.

And when you step up the pillar remains in the house, but it also goes with you, as you walk on the streets.

It pushes the darkness, at ground level, midrange, and even the principalities.

That is how we should fight.

The presence of God is already with us, and pushed back the darkness.

You have doors opened not because of who you are, but because you have God’s presence.

When you have the presence and your other sister has it at home, she has the presence too.

And the other family has it too.

And when everyone gathers at church, now the pillar expanded in circumference to get wider.

So that our worship is under a pillar of 50m wide.

Do you know why the apostles whenever they would go into Solomon’s porch no one dared to go in there.

Because of the glory of God.

So we must be like this carrying the presence of God, that can cut a wide territory.

Back in Uganda when we worshipped a particular song for 2 hours even, an unbeliever outside preparing food says she feels the presence of God when we sung.

And when we sung, she has no energy to do anything, even preparing food.

And others also come into our compound, and joined us.

And when I opened my eyes after 2 hours, the whole place was full of people, with people from the markets they came here saying the worship drew them.

And I said, you are welcome, if you are here and never given your life to Jesus, here is your time to.

And a great number came forward, no preaching was done.

If God is for us, who can be against us, he can do exceedingly, abundantly, all we can imagine.

So don’t take this shallow concept of altars, the real heart of prayer altars is encounter with God, to have communion.

And if you come away without petition, don’t worry, he knows what you need before you ask.

He says to Abraham, fear not you have exceedingly great reward.

You get him, you get everything and lack nothing.

Just us being faithful at the altar, we shall eat the abundance of the land, as he will come and heal the land.